New Non-fiction From JCPL to Banish the Blues!

I’m not a bit superstitious. I like black cats and am not afraid to walk around, underneath or climb a ladder. I am, however, going to great lengths to invite a “springy” atmosphere around and into my surroundings, so I removed every speck of winter décor, early I might add, so that winter would get the message to “make like a tree and leave.” The snow, however, continues to fly, despite my best efforts to ward off any winter-y encouragement.

Then, I spotted it; the bad joo-joo that’s been inviting all of this bad weather to its extended stay; one stray snowman, forgotten on the mantel of my fireplace. I quickly removed it, banishing it from sight, but, alas the snow still flies. Maybe it’s due to the fact that instead of putting the “bad joo-joo” in its place, lazy me laid it on the stairway to be taken to its winter vacation spot in the attic at a later date. I am, indeed, solely responsible for the bad joo-joo of this never-ending winter! In apology, I’m offering up a truce to all of JCPL’s avid readers; some very new, good joo-joo in the way of great, non-fiction to pass the time until spring really arrives. Check these out!

Watching the Oscars this past Sunday night made me realize how much work and effort movies take to put together. It takes actors, actresses, filmmakers, editors, special effects, writers, and the list goes on and on. David Thomson’s “Moments that Made the Movies” is a fun look at images from 71 films, past and present, engaging the reader, leading you to turn pages and browse, as moment by moment, films come alive, making statements with a parade of great flicks. In this professionally drawn guide to movies, the author offers close-ups, featuring films such as “Psycho,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” “When Harry Met Sally” and other classics, and the result is movie analysis that is unique and one of a kind.

How can you get the most from Medicare? From enrollment dates to plan options, author Patricia Barry covers it all in “Medicare for Dummies.” This guide offers accurate information, helping you to navigate the maze of Medicare choices without the costly pitfalls of the complex system. Written in plain language, this guide answers all of your questions, giving you a step by step overview of how to qualify and when it benefits you, personally, to enroll, and what Medicare covers and what it costs, guiding you to keep your out-of pocket expenses to a minimum.

To many of us, our dogs, “man’s best friend,” are members of our families. Some dogs, however, need a little extra help in the training department, and find themselves homeless due to bad habits and behaviors. In “Decoding your Dog: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones,” experts from the American college of Veterinary Behaviorists help dog owners to understand their dogs, guiding them with the keys to training dogs effectively. This guide analyzes problem behaviors, delving deep into the minds of our pooches, decoding how they think, how they communicate and how they learn, offering sound advice and remedies to alleviate behavioral issues that may keep Rover from finding his forever home.

Luscious cakes, pies and award winning recipes for sweets and baked goods straight from her boutique in Silverlake, California and the Santa Monica and Hollywood Farmer’s Markets can be found in “Sweet” by Valerie Gordon. In this comprehensive cookbook, you can now bake anything you want the Valerie way; petits fours, cakes, truffles, cookies perfected with candied rose petals and other special ingredients grace each page. Full page color photographs make “Sweet” the favorite cookbook of every baker who values deliciously delectable desserts!

The four letter word that we have been saying all winter long has been banished, along with the bad joo-joo of that last, stray snowman on the fireplace, replaced by two four letter words that none of us will mind hearing; good book! (from your friends at JCPL, of course!)